Electric locomotive and means for controlling the same.



No. 824,314. BATENTED JUNE 26, 1906.

P. L. SESSIONS.

ELECTRIC LOGOMOTIVE AND MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. o3.

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- F. SESSIONS. ELECTRIC LOGOMOTIVE AND MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME.

APPLICATION IILED AUG. 6. 1903.

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W Attorney WITNESSES PATENTED JUNE 26, 1906.

E. L. SESSIONS. ELECTRIC LOGOMOTIVE AND MEANS FOR GONTROLEING THE SAME.

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APPLICATION FILED AUG. 6.1903.

WITNESSES Al torney lumbuspin' the countyof Franklin and State of ()hio, have in'ventedcertain-new and use UNITED STATES PATENT @FEIOE.

FRANK L. srssions, or COLUMBUS, OHIO, Assienon TO JOSEPH A.

.rnrrsnn or soreness, OHIO.

ELECTRIC iocomouvr AND Mans on CONTROLLING THE SAME.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

'lratented June-26, 1906.

Application filedAughstB, 1903. Serial No.-l68,580.

To all whom, it may concern: v

Be it known that L'FRAN L. sessions, a citizen or the United States, residing at Go'- iul Improvements in Electric. Locomotives and Means for Controlling. the Same, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had. therein to the accompanying. drawings. J a

This invention relates to improvements in the means for controlling the movements of electrically-propelled cars or'locomotives of the class in which use is" made of a flexible conductor, generally ol' the form of a cable, which is paid out from and wound up by an automatically-actuated reeling mechanism mounted on the car or locomotive. In earlierapplications, Serial No. 119,667, filed August 14, 1902, and Serial No. 149,377, filed March 2 1, 1903, I have illustrated electric career locomotives of this general class, those in the said applications being moreparticularly for use as car gathering devices for coal-mines 1 In the present case I have designed means whereby electric cars with flexible conductors and reeling mechanism can be operatedby an operator at a.point distant from the car itself, such locomotives and operating devices being usei'ul, for instance, in mills where hot metal is handled and transported such as billets, slag, &c.

Figure 1 is a view'of a conventional and diagrammatic characterillustrating a system of electric control embodying my improvements, Fig. 2 is a side'view of an electric car or locomotive, such as can be used in a system embodyin myimprovements.

Fig; 3 is a plan View s owing the same'and also illustrating diagrammatically the means for controlling it. Fig. 'shows amodificationin 1 which there is a fourth wire or flexible conductor-section for current return introduced into the cable. Fig. 5 illustrates the separa-' tion of the conductors within the cable inFigs.

1 and 3. at' the ends adjacent to the winding mechanism. Fig. 6is a similar view showin the separation o'ftheconductorends of thecable in Fig. 4.

In. the drawingsAindicates' the car or vehicle as a wholepit heing mmmted {upon the g necessity for vtrack-rails B by means of the track-wheels C, fitted thereto. This car is propelled by -means of the electric motor D, which is mounted upon it and connected by gearing to the axles g g of the car. The motor has a field element including one or more coils (indicated conventionally at D) and an armature with brushes, (conventionally illustrated at D Id d.) 1

F indicates as an entirety the winding mechanism by which flexible conductors or conductor-sections can be wound up or paid out, as desired. This winding mechanism in cludes with other parts a reel or drum H, mounted in suitable supports on the car A. To this reel are connected the ends of three conductor-sections, of wire, respectivelyinsulated, but bound together (except at their terminal parts) to form a cable I, the end of one conductor-being shown at i, that of the second at i, and that of-the third at '5 The other ends of these cable conductor-sections are respectively connected to fixed connectors a'tee As the car A moves away from the.

fixed terminal devices at e e e itpays out the cable I. As it returns toward them it automatically takes it up and winds it again. The winding mechanism is indicated by J as an entirety. It consists of a wheel 9', actuated by the car-wheel G, preferably by frictional contact of the periphery of the latter with the periphery of the former. Powerfor rotating the reel is transmitted from the wheel 7' to the wheel 7" on the axis of thedrum. Sprocketgearing is used, having the chain 9'", the sprocket-wheel i on the same shatt with the friction-wheel y, and the aforesaid sprocketwheel 1" onthe reel-shaft.

l The circumstances and conditions experienced by a locomotive'intended for the work here contemplated are such.that there Will ordinarilv'be a-permanently-maintained connection between thev track-Wheel g and the drum-Wheel The car ma be regarded-as continually moving forwar and back over the same fixed path. Hence there will not Working conditions be any sengaging the reel from the part but at times it is desirableto efiect-suohdlsengagement in order to relieve the track-wheels from the work of turning the reel'and itsdriving parts- 21s, for exam ender ordinag' ror - able distance.

ment, the wheel is mounted on an arm or in The arm or frame 1 is moved up and down by means of a rod L, r

as I have devised and have herein presented nected by a link I to a bar or frame K. The

ple, when the locomotive is to be taken from one place of working to another at a consider- To permit such disengage a frame K, pivoted at k.

pivoted to a bell-lever l, which is flexibly conbell-lever is pivoted at L to the vehicle.

WVith the movable frame may be combined.

a lock to hold it in either of its positions. The reel-terminals of the cable-reel conductors, respectively, have contact withthe ter 1 minals of the conductor-sections m m m respectively, connected with the brushes d "and d of the motor and with the field-coil D.

The operators'station is indicated as a whole by N. The-apparatus there comprises a reversing-switch O, a controller P, and a main-line switch V. R indicates the mainline, which supplies current, and S in dicates the conductor-section, which connects the field-coils of the motor with the return sis side of the circuit, here the rails B, on which the locomotivemoves. At T there are three conductor-sections extending, respectively, fronrthe fixed connectors e e e to the proper terminals or contact-points of the switch at O. The several parts of the circuit are connected up in such way that the operator can reverse the current through two of the wires of the cable-reel sections, permitting it to flow continuously in one direction through the third section. This third section is the one connected to the field-coil. The other two sections are those which are connected through the reel-terminals to the armatureterminals. By means of these devices the operator though at a distance is able to read ily control the locomotive and the cars which t is propelling and can regulate their movements in either direction.

A haulage apparatus of this character can be'usedin manyplaces where it is imprac- .trolley'that is, asliding or rolling contact moving along a stationary conductor. In many places small locomotives are needed capable of hauling trains of small cars and so small as not to be able to carry and accommodate an operator, together with the means for controlling and manipulating the electrical parts. XVhere a powerful current is used,the controller, the switching mechanism, and other electrical parts require a relatively large amount of space, and to accommodate these and the person of; the operator much more room is needed than is available.

Again, cars'ca able of self-propulsion and of propelling otier vehicles are frequently needed along elevated trackways where either from narrowness of the structure or other reasons it is not practicable to have cars large enough to accommodate an operator and the tica-ble to employ a system depending upon a' eaten parts which he requires. In any of these cases if trolleys and trolley-poles of the ordinary character are used there is constant liability for them to become disengaged from the stationary conductor and great inconvenience and loss of time result. An apparatus such meets the requirements and conditions that T have referred to. The flexible conductors i are at all times positively connected mechanically and electrically with the motor and l with the conductor-sections, 'l'rom which they derive their current, and there is under ordinary circumstances no liability of detachment or disengagement. A small locomotivecar with a heavy motor capable of receiving a powerful current can be used either on a track system near the ground. or one elevated u on a narrow framework. Again, the lia bility o'l loss from breakage from such parts as the controllers, the switching devices, the eut-outs,-&c., is obviated, as these are all stationary and in safe position, so that even in case the locomotive should be derailed no loss from the destruction of such parts can happen.

Around steel and iron plants it is frequently necessary to transport loads of hot material, as molten metal or liquid slag, and bars and plates of red or white hot solid metal. The heat from such bodies makes it practically impossible for an operator to ride upon the locomotive or the train to control have set forth such difliculties as these are readily overcome.

At V there is a switch'o'f such nature as either to connect the above described apparatus with the main line B or to cut it out from that and connect it with the conductor section N, which is shown as electrically connected to the track. The switch at V is a single-pole double-throw switch, and when it is connected with the main line the operation above described for reversing the motor can be followed. If it is desired to brake the lecomotive, the motor is short-circuited through the resistance. This is accomplished by throwing the switch at V to the terminal to and throwing the reverse-switch so as to make the motor a self-exciting generator. The current in the motor-armature is reversed, and the motor becomes a generator and the braking of the locomotive is effected and may be graded by the controller. The car can then be moved in the opposite direc tion by restoring switchV to the main line.

in some cases it will be difficult, if not impossible, to use the rails B for the return side of the electric circuit. Under such circumstances I employ a modification of the above arrangement of sections of the electric circuit, such as isillustrated more or less conventionallyin Fig. 4. Here, .thcre are two them; but with an apparatus of the kind I' switchds used at V.. .26

. the said flexible conductor-sections, a, Ste.-

- bination of the car,

mechanism connected to fourth-conductor-section line of the main circuit, it being preferably .formed in two parts, one at 1", which extends to the operators station, and one atr which extends. from the station through the switch at V to the main wire. The other three conductor-sections of the cable-Wire are arranged to operate substantially the way as in the case above, more fully described and shown in Fig. 1 and others. In order to short-circuit the motor through the resistance with this apparatus, a two-pole double-throw H When connection is made with'the tefminals at on, the-current travels from and to the main lines in the way above described. If the switch be thrown so as,to connect with the terminals at '0 v, the main line is cu-t out, and the motor is connected up in such way as to become a enerator, as above described, and the brafiing of the locomotive will beefiected.

What I claimis 1. In an electric haulage system, the com-' bination of the car, the motor for propelling the car having a reversible rotary member, a set of flexible electric conductor-sections, a reel on the car for winding up and paying out tionary device at a pomt remote from the car for reversing the electric current passing through more or less of the flexible conductor-sections and through one element of the motor, substantially as setvforth.

2. In an electric haulage system, the comthe motor on the car having a field-magnet element and a reversible armature element geared to the car-wheels, the winding mechanism, three flexible conductor-sections adapted to be simultaneouslywound up and paid out by the said windin mechanism, one of said conductors being e ectrically' connected with the term inals of one element, of the motor and the other two be "respectivel "connected with the terminals fithe other e ement, a station: ary controller at a point distant from thesaid car for controlling the current through all of the said three flexible sections, and a stationary reversing'mechanism at said point for re-- versing theyte'rminals of the twoaforesaid flexible conductor-sections on the winding;

the terminals of'one elenilent of the motor, substantially as set fort 3. In an electric haulage system, the comcuit through bination of the car, the

bination of the car, the motor for propelling the car, having a reversible rotary member, a 1

. pelling the car, a series stationary electric conductor for supplying current, a plurality of flexible conductors adapted to conduct the current from said stationary conductor to the motor on the car,

means for cutting saidstationary conductor out or in, means for establishing a short cirthe motor, and a reversing means forreversing the reversible member of the motor, all of saidelec'tric circuit-control: means being arranged at a fixed point re- 'mote" from'the car, and means for paying out and winding up said flexible conductors as the car moves from and'toward said fixed 1 point respectively, substantially asset forth. 4. In an electric haulage system, the-combination of the car, the motor on the car havmg a reversible rotary member, 'a-stationa'ry conductorforsupplying current to the mo tor, acut-out for said; conductor, means. for establishing tor arranged at. and having a circuit through the rotaiyjiho a shprtfiir l' g he mO-"T tor element,- and a circuit through. the sat tionary'motorelement, and meansin the circuit through one of theelements for roversmg its terminals, substantially as set forth.-

5'. In an electric haulage system, th'com bination of thecar, the motor on'ithe car,.the stationary conductor, the switch remote from the car for cutting said conductor out, or in,

the controller remotefrom the car, and means" remote from the car for establishing ashort circuit. through the controller, and through the motor when the said suptply-conductor is cut out, substantially as set orth. v.6.v In an electric haulage system, the combination of the car, the motor on the car, the

branch conductor for conveying electric current from themain conductor to'the m'otor, said branch conductor'includigig a controller and a current-reversing mechanism,both arranged at a point remote from the car and stationary re ative. thereto, a current-return conductor-section on the other side of the motor, and means for connecting the conductors of the said two' sections. .50 form a short circuit through the controller and the motor, substantially as set forth.

'7. In an electric haulage system, the min 7 motor for propelling the car, a set of flexible electric conductor,

sections, electrically connected with said mo-' tor, a reel on the car'for Wmding up and device arranged at a point.

of flexible electric con- Juct'or-sections electrically connected tothe;

car for reversing the-cfiri electric motor for pro R ing out the sa1d flexible:conductopsectrons;

said mbtr, 'a reel fer winding up arid paying In} testinillgry wherecf I affix my signature out the said flexible conducter-sectiongfien in presence oftwo Witnesses.

.a'stationary device at a point remote 0m the car for reversing the electric current pass- FRANK SESSIONS:

5 ing thrqugh certain of said conductor-sec- Witnesseszi tions to cause the reversal in direction of ro- C. E. WAXBOM.

tation f the meter. W. G.N A'1 .Hc. 

